What is it like to have nowhere to sleep at night?

That’s what students at Quwwat-Ul-Islam Girls’ School set out to discover when they held a sponsored sleepout.

The Year 10 pupils swapped their beds for sleeping bags and settled down for the night in the Chaucer Road school’s hall.

The eye-opening experience was also used to raise funds for Caritas Anchor House, a homeless charity in Canning Town.

The sleepout, combined with the Forest Gate school’s winter bazaar, helped to raise £1,350 for the charity.

One of the students who took part in the sleepout, Samiira Mohamed, said: “During the sleepout, as a group we had a lot of fun.

“However, it would have been horrible to know how it would have been if we were alone – many homeless people have lost their family and loved ones.”

The girls’ efforts were praised by their headteacher, Mohammed Asif, who said: “I’m very proud of them for raising the funds, and also awareness, of homelessness.

“We look forward to supporting Caritas Anchor House in future with more exciting events”.